Retail rethought: What does a real sense of welcome feel like?
Reality check at the car dealership:
How contemporary is the customer experience?
The automotive industry is undergoing profound change. With the shift toward electromobility, changing customer demands, and digital sales models, the car dealership, as the central touchpoint between customer, brand, and service, is also being re-examined.
only 25%
of customers rate the sales process at the car dealership as modern or contemporary.
*Berylls Strategy Advisors, 2022
up to 60%
increase of recommendation rate by a positive retail experience.
*McKinsey & Company, 2023
These two key figures illustrate the discrepancy between the current state of many car dealerships and the actual potential of stationary retail.
This isn't a contradiction, but rather an indication that stationary retail isn't fundamentally losing relevance, but rather a loss of quality and adaptability to the changing expectations of modern customers.
New expectations, new rules
Expectations of car dealerships have changed significantly in recent years. Customers no longer just come for information or to conclude a contract - they expect a consistent brand experience, that starts digitally and continues in the physical space. Instead of sober salesrooms, they are looking for places that inspire, emotionalize and offer orientation.
This change is being driven by key developments: Customers are demanding cross-channel experiences, digitization is shifting purchasing decisions to the Internet, electromobility is creating new requirements for consulting and infrastructure, efficiency and sustainability goals are changing spatial concepts - and at the same time, the demand for a consistent brand experience across all touchpoints is increasing.
Changing customer expectations
Digitalization & Omnichannel
Sustainability & new mobility
Efficiency increase & brand experience
Physical retail is often still conceived of from an outdated perspective: as a salesroom, not as an experience. As a functional space, not as an emotional touchpoint. Yet therein lies the great opportunity: the car dealership can and must be reframed.
Reframing the car dealership
- from salesroom to experience space
The car dealership must evolve from a pure transaction to genuine interaction. Consulting, brand staging and individual support are becoming increasingly important compared to the classic act of sales. Today's customers expect a retail experience that is seamlessly networked with digital touchpoints - with consistent communication, transparent information and an intuitive transition between the online and offline worlds.
The physical presence offers decisive added value: Trust, proximity, authenticity and Individualization are often easier to establish in personal contact than in digital channels. However, this added value must be consciously designed, through trained staff, modern processes and a feel-good environment.
Against this backdrop, a new retail standard is needed, that combines all these elements and turns today's car dealership into a place of experience that inspires and retains customers in the long term.
Retail that works: how we bring change to the surface
For a new retail standard not only to be planned, but also to be felt on site, it takes more than just a well-thought-out space concept - it takes change in practice. This is exactly where we come in: We not only develop strategies but also accompany the entire change process directly on site.
Together with the dealer, we analyze how everyday life at the dealership works and what it takes to turn the new Customer Experience from a concept into a living reality.
- What does a genuine welcome feeling look like?
- How do customers experience end-to-end service from the first conversation to vehicle maintenance?
- Where do new touchpoints with the customer arise?
It's not just about new spaces, but about a new mindset: Customer focus, teamwork and smooth processes.
Based on this, we design the ideal customer journey in a joint workshop – concrete, interactive, and individually tailored. Based on the existing floor plan, we jointly develop new zones and touchpoints: from hospitality areas and consultation corners to delivery and service areas – so that they optimally support the new brand experience.
But our approach doesn't end there: in a subsequent workshop, we anchor the new understanding of customer experience in the team, with practical training, concrete use cases and targeted change methods. We shape change together with the employees and ensure that it becomes part of everyday life.
Dealers are supported by a dedicated contact person who manages and advises the entire process and works closely with all relevant interfaces on the customer side, from the sales manager to the specialist department.
Why we understand what we do
Because at rpc, we don't just advise retail, we live it. Our end-to-end approach combines strategy, design and implementation - accompanied by coaches who are directly on site. Our team brings together experts from a wide range of disciplines with years of experience in automotive retail. The result is a project that not only works, but has impact - for retailers, employees and customers.
